Although the debut cMoy Bass Boost from JDS Labs was a killer product, its second-coming is a truly superior product.
I liked the first version of the Bass Boost. It was only out of objective observation that I talked about the noise in low-gain position. But that wind has been taken from my sail with JDS Labs’ release of the cMoyBB version 2.00. The gain switch is gone and a volume control in its place. Booyakasha!
The man behind the cMoyBB is John Seaber, an engineering undergrad at the University of Missouri. He set out to improve the general cMoy design as well as to innovate the functions and features. The result is a tweaked version of a regular Cmoy, employing the same TI opamp (OPA2227P) but with higher quality components and even custom-printed circuit boards for that official look.
For the non-official look, the entire amp is housed in an Altoids box. It’s cool, it’s hip and it’s a natural theft deterrent. It may draw guns at security checkpoints, but just excitedly explain it’s an amplifier and everyone will have a good laugh.
The cMoyBB’s bass boost feature, alone, is well worth the price. There is a flip switch on the side that engages the boost. Once you have it on for a few minutes, you’re hooked. Turning it off is like going from the hot tub into the pool. The boost begins in the range of 500Hz, climbing at about +6dB/octave. By the time it reaches 50Hz, the gain is around +22.5dB.
Normally, I am not a huge fan of the AKG K701 headphones. However, when they are met with a great amp and given a little pat on the behind (a.k.a. bass boost) they come alive. The cMoyBB delivers such incredible bass response that it’s actually hard for me to listen to anything else right afterwards. However, with lesser headphones like the AblePlanet Clear Harmony phones, the bass boost can muddy up or overload the drivers, especially at louder volumes. JDS Labs suggests using my personal favorite headphones, Sennheiser HD 280 Pro.
Some people may not like the frequency spectrum being altered because it doesn’t accurately reflect the master recording…and rightfully. However, that’s very subjective and depends on your personal preferences. Some people hook up massive car audio systems with bass that can be heard two blocks away (including me) because that’s how they like to hear their music. Besides, if the feature is disengaged, the frequency response is rather flat. So there.
One non-audio improvement is a DC power jack. Although it’s not included, recommendations are made by JDS Labs to get your own for under $10. The entire unit will run on a 9V battery, but when DC power is plugged in, the battery is politely bypassed.
The greatest part about this whole thing is JDS Labs promotes and encourages building your own, as well as you have some knowledge of electronics. Most all parts are available through www.JDSLabs.com, including the circuit board to save hours of soldering.
And if you were wondering where all the Altoids go, they’re not piled high in the corner of a dorm room, as I suspected. Instead, they’re frozen and auctioned on eBay in huge frickin Ziploc bags. Check www.JDSLabs.com for Altoid auction times, stinky.
